Dogs

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 28, 2015

Canine Performance Sciences Program at Auburn University in Alabama is breeding and training dogs, nearly all Labrador retrievers, to be able to use their powerful sense of smell to detect bombs, narcotics and even livestock viruses; Auburn is partnering with five prisons in Florida and Georgia, using inmates to foster and help train the puppies before they are placed with government agencies or private security firms. MORE

Jul. 25, 2015

Op-Ed article by Mohammed Hanif relates how careful he is when walking his dog on streets of Karachi; examines origins of devout Muslims' antipathy toward dogs; notes that most of hate for dogs comes from Hadith, not the Quran. MORE

Jul. 8, 2015

Liberian health officials report that dead dog suspected as source for the re-emergence of Ebola has tested negative for the disease, but urge caution given poor condition of samples and fact that test is designed for humans. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

Escaped convicts Richard W Matt and David Sweat appear to have sprinkled pepper on their tracks in attempt to throw police dogs off scent; State Police officials say trick seems to have slowed down tracking effort, but some dog cognition experts say ruse is unlikely to have worked. MORE

Jun. 24, 2015

Yulin journal; Yulin, China, is notorious for its annual dog meat festival, with international negativity publicity irking many of its seven million residents; animal rights advocates have started rapidly growing campaign against culinary practice. MORE

Jun. 21, 2015

Jun. 12, 2015

New York State legislators, with session dwindling to final days, are facing dozens of dog-related bills awaiting approval; some lawmakers note that with their public disapproval as high as ever, popularity of animal bills remains strong. MORE

Jun. 5, 2015

Petco accepts full responsibility for death of Colby, golden retriever that died during grooming session at store in Midlothian, Va; internal investigation found that groomer had not followed protocol in using a drying kennel, but company denies that excessive heat was cause; incident has resulted in widespread scorn on social media. MORE

May. 25, 2015

Many New York city dog owners welcome possibility that New York State health regulations banning dogs from restaurants might soon be loosened; legislation currently before State Legislature would allow restaurants to individually decide whether to allow patrons to bring dogs into their outdoor dining areas. MORE

May. 22, 2015

Study of bone fragment found on Siberia's Taimyr Peninsula proves modern wolves and dogs split into different evolutionary lineages 27,000 to 40,000 years ago, much earlier than 2014 report suggested; research, published by Love Dalen and Pontus Skoglund in journal Current Biology, reconstructed for first time ancient carnivore genome to map family tree of new species Taimyr wolf; falls short of determining exactly when dogs were domesticated. MORE

May. 15, 2015

Australian officials say actor Johnny Depp has two days to deport his two Yorkshire terriers, which he sneaked into country illegally by bypassing strict documenting and quarantine rules, or they will be killed. MORE

May. 15, 2015

New York State Senate approves bill 60-0 allowing restaurants to permit dogs into their outdoor eating areas, if accompanied by diner. MORE

May. 10, 2015

The Ethicists column panel answers questions about how to handle nanny who drinks heavily and laws governing dogs in parks. MORE

May. 3, 2015

Sleeping with one's dog, practice carried out for centuries by people all over globe, is often not appreciated by romantic partners and may present some health risks. MORE

Apr. 22, 2015

Supreme Court rules in case Rodriguez v United States that police may not prolong traffic stops in order to allow drug-sniffing dogs to inspect vehicles. MORE

Apr. 21, 2015

Study in journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases finds that rabies kills 59,000 people a year, higher than previously thought; mass vaccination of dogs is cheapest and most effective way to prevent disease. MORE

Apr. 18, 2015

Rescue of more than 20 Tibetan mastiffs by Beijing animal rights activists as dogs were being trucked to slaughterhouse is indication of how mastiffs, once must-have accessory for status-conscious Chinese, have fallen out of favor; around half of 95 breeders in Tibet have gone out of business since 2013, and ones that are left suffer from overcapacity; fad is in part casualty of turn away from ostentatious wealth, but other factors contributed to its decline, such as unscrupulous breeders. MORE

Apr. 1, 2015

Wisconsin Gov Scott Walker, who is likely candidate for 2016 Republican presidential nomination, is allergic to dog dander, running against long line of former presidents who loved their dogs; has managed to suppress his dog allergies to pet a few in the past. MORE

Mar. 22, 2015

Filmmakers and dog trainers had to work closely to train over 200 dogs appearing in Hungarian movie White God, a political allegory about injustice. MORE

Mar. 5, 2015

Kuta Village Journal; January incident in which stray dog on Bali's popular Kuta Beach bit 10-year-old Australian girl and government's aggressive response in culling dog population have led to vigorous debate there over best way to deal with dogs; some, including Gov I Made Mangku Pastika, support killing dogs due to rabies threat, while animal rights activists and others oppose extreme measures. MORE

Mar. 1, 2015

Menagerie column by writer Giancarlo T Roma describes his father Thomas's project of photographing shadows of dogs who frequented dog park in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. MORE

Feb. 22, 2015

Op-Ed article by author Emily Yoffe warns those entranced by Westminster Best in Show winner Miss P against getting a beagle; relates her own experience with her beagle Sasha, which led her to write book about the dog's endless capacity for mayhem. MORE

Jan. 28, 2015

Fire Lieutenant David Kelly captures stray whippet on Randalls Island before snow storm and finds owner, who had been searching for dog for months. MORE

Jan. 9, 2015

Dec. 14, 2014

Serge Schmemann Quick History column reflects on events of the week, including release of Senate Intelligence Committee's report on CIA's use of torture and Pope Francis assuring young boy that dogs can go to heaven. MORE

Nov. 14, 2014

Austin Flake, son of Arizona Sen Jeff Flake, and his wife Logan plead not guilty to animal cruelty charges in deaths of nearly two dozen dogs at boarding kennel in suburban Phoenix. MORE

Nov. 13, 2014

Allegations of severe neglect leading to deaths of 22 dogs in June at Green Acre Dog Boarding facility in Gilbert, Ariz, have continue to grip community; public vigils for the dogs have drawn hundreds of mourners, and details of the case have dominated local news; four people have been indicted in the deaths, including Austin Flake, son of Sen Jeff Flake of Arizona. MORE

Nov. 2, 2014

Thailand's military government, looking for ways to enhance their international image, is considering law banning trade in dog meat; pressured by activists both inside the country and internationally, ban would impact relatively small portion of population, as dog meat is not a traditional Thai practice. MORE

Oct. 27, 2014

Backlash by conservative Muslims in Malaysia over an attempt to widen appreciation of dogs has underlined the polarization between Muslims and other groups in country; conservative Muslims regard dogs as unclean, and in recent years have pushed back against what they describe as libidinous and ungodly Western influences. MORE

Oct. 24, 2014

Secret Service is enjoying some positive publicity after guard dogs stop fence jumper from getting into the White House; federal authorities charge Dominic Adesanya of Maryland with several counts in connection with the incident, and file felony charges of assaulting law enforcement officers. MORE

Oct. 9, 2014

Dog named Excalibur who belonged to Ebola-infected nurse Maria Teresa Romero Ramos is destroyed by Spanish health officials, even as protesters and animal rights activists surround Madrid home of the nurse and her husband; online petition calling for dog’s life to be spared drew hundreds of thousands of signatures. MORE

Oct. 7, 2014

Science Q&A on whether to avoid contact with dog that was petted by someone with flu. MORE

Oct. 5, 2014

Campus Corner column; Tuffy the wolf is the official live mascot of North Carolina State's football team, but he is not a wolf and his name is not Tuffy; mascot is a Tamaskan, mix of German shepherd, Alaskan malamute and Siberian husky first bred in Finland, and his real name is Wave; other college football news and scores noted. MORE

Oct. 1, 2014

Wirehaired vizsla, a Hungarian hunting dog, and the coton de tulear, known as the royal dog of Madagascar, will join the Westminster Kennel Club show in 2015. MORE

Sep. 30, 2014

Carter Center study shows that Guinea worms are far more common in dogs in Chad than in people, and that dogs' consumption of fish guts is to blame; villagers are being urged to burn or bury guts and to tie up their dogs. MORE

Sep. 29, 2014

Temporary dog run near Native American memorial in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx has drawn complaints from some Bronx historians and Native Americans who say it is an insult to those who fought and died on the land; critics have mobilized against plan by city parks officials to replace exiting pen with permanent enclosure. MORE

Sep. 26, 2014

City Room blog; New York City's health code forbids pet owners to allow their animals to urinate on a public sidewalk, but law is enforced only in cases that pose a serious public health risk; sanitation workers say they are tired of picking up wet trash bags that splash dog urine all over their clothes and those of their partners. MORE

Aug. 17, 2014

DreamWorks Animation is using series of publicity stunts to revive faded Lassie brand; studios decided best hope for making money with Lassie, which it gained control of in 2012, was to make dog a merchandising star. MORE

Aug. 12, 2014

African wild dogs, once thought to be in danger of extinction, are proving far more resilient than many experts had expected; researchers have long noted dogs' social and civic-minded behavior, but continue to be surprised by depths of their self-sacrificing actions; dog populations are inching up across Africa, but they are still considered endangered. MORE

Aug. 5, 2014

Science Q&A on whether dogs have superior sense of taste in addition to superior sense of smell. MORE

Jul. 27, 2014

Real Estate Q&A answers New Yorkers' questions about how to protect sidewalk trees from dog urine, rules about apartment air conditioners and abandoned cable lines by utilities. MORE

Jul. 24, 2014

Study by co-authored by psychologist Dr Christine Harris, published in journal PLoS One, finds form of jealousy in behavior of dogs; other scientists agree something is going on, but not all are convinced it is jealousy, saying such emotion is too complex for a dog. MORE

Jul. 20, 2014

Benoit Denizet-Lewis Riff essay describes speaking to psychologist Dr Joel Gavriele-Gold, who specializes in dog issues, about his feeling that his dog would prefer a different owner. MORE

Jul. 17, 2014

We humans have a plethora of insecurities about our dogs. Here are three common complaints from dog owners, with comments. MORE

Jun. 15, 2014

Mutt named Oliver will play role of Crab in Shakespeare on the Sound presentation of play The Two Gentlemen of Verona in Rowayton; Crab is only canine role in Shakespeare play (Metropolitan/Connecticut). MORE

Jun. 14, 2014

Louisiana's Republican Gov Bobby Jindal vetoes bill requiring that dogs in the back of pickup trucks be secured with a leash, crate or a ventilated truck bed cover on Interstate highways; calls proposal a 'nanny state' bill. MORE

Jun. 13, 2014

Emergency medical treatment of Caesar, New York City police dog that has worked on the force for eight years, after sustaining electrical shock, saves his life; action underscores how canine members of the police force are afforded all the same privileges of their two-legged companions. MORE

Jun. 9, 2014

Paris is for lovers and New York for dreamers, but when you’re a classy canine accustomed to life’s finer things, getting there can be for the dogs. MORE

May. 30, 2014

Donji-Ri Journal; South Korean island of Jindo, devastated by deadly ferry disaster, is known largely for its Jindo breed of dog, famous for loyalty and homing instincts. MORE

May. 26, 2014

Op-Ed article by author J Courtney Sullivan applauds efforts by individuals and animal rescue organizations to transport dogs from overcrowded shelters in rural South to facilities in Northeast; notes that shelter kill rates spike in poor communities and that demand for such pets is higher in North; says until spay and neuter practices become common for all pet owners majority of dogs in Southern shelters will be euthanized. MORE

July 8, 2015, Wednesday

While popularized by the film “Cool Hand Luke,” sprinkling pepper in your tracks, as two escaped inmates apparently did to avoid capture, likely does not confuse a dog’s sense of smell, a researcher says.